Eddie Van Halen
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- January 26, 1955
- Died
- October 6, 2020 (aged 65)
- Birthplace
- Amsterdam, Netherlands
Biography
Eddie Van Halen (26 January 1955 – 6 October 2020) was a Dutch-American musician, songwriter, producer, and inventor. Moving with his family (headed by musician Jan Van Halen) to Pasadena, California as a boy, Eddie and brother Alex were both trained on classical piano. Eddie got a paper route to pay for a drum set, but Alex spent far more time playing it while Eddie was at work, so Eddie "stole" Alex's guitar to get back at him, and they continued to play those instruments for the rest of their careers. The Van Halen brothers started a band called Mammoth, eventually recruiting frontman David Lee Roth and bassist Michael Anthony, and renamed the band Van Halen at Roth's insistence. Van Halen's debut album is one of the most influential and best-selling rock debut albums in history, and Eddie's innovative guitar playing had a massive influence on rock musicians worldwide, with Eddie being hailed as a guitar god and routinely being featured on and in guitar magazines. After a decade with Roth as frontman, he was fired and was successfully replaced by Sammy Hagar, bringing another decade of success for the band before Hagar's departure. A third lineup featuring Gary Cherone was not successful, and Van Halen reunited with both Hagar and Roth for brief periods, replacing Anthony with Eddie's son Wolfgang on bass. Eddie developed tongue cancer in the 2000s, had surgery and was in remission for a number of years, but it eventually returned, and he passed away in 2020, with an outpouring of support and appreciation from musicians the world over.
Known For
Photos
Filmography
Van Halen - Live In Largo
Movie
Van Halen Live at Monsters of Rock, Donington Park 1984
Movie · as Self
Thriller 40
Movie · as Self (archive footage)
Randy Rhoads: Reflections of a Guitar Icon
Movie · as Self (voice)
The Dirt
Movie · as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Play It Loud: The Story of Marshall
Movie · as Self
Van Halen: A Definitive Kind Of Tokyo
Movie · as Self
Van Halen The Downtown Sessions
Movie
Cry Baby: The Pedal that Rocks the World
Movie
Van Halen - In Concert
Movie · as Himself - Lead Guitar, Vocals
Van Halen - Live From The Molson 1995
Movie · as Himself
Van Halen – In Tokyo
Movie
Van Halen - Live Rarities
Movie · as Himself
Van Halen: The Van Halen Story
Movie · as Himself
Two and a Half Men
TV · as Eddie Van Halen · 1 ep
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
TV · as Self - Musical Guest · 1 ep
Van Halen : Live from Australia
Movie · as Self (Vocals / Guitar)
Van Halen: Video Hits Vol. 1
Movie · as Lead Guitars, Vocals
Van Halen: Live in Pensacola, Florida
Movie · as Lead Guitar, Vocals
Van Halen - Live: Right Here, Right Now
Movie · as Lead Guitar, Vocals
Frasier
TV · as Hank (voice) · 1 ep
Cafe Americain
TV · as Street Musician · 1 ep
Late Show with David Letterman
TV · as Self - Musical Guest · 1 ep
Van Halen: Dallas Free Show
Movie
Van Halen - The Early Days 1978-1980
Movie · as Guitar
Van Halen : Live In Japan Tokyo Dome 1989
Movie · as Self (Lead Guitar / Vocals)
MTV Rockumentary
TV · 1 ep
Van Halen - Live Without a Net
Movie · as Self (Lead Guitar / Vocals)
Van Halen - Live 1986 New Haven
Movie · as Lead Guitar, Vocals
MTV Video Music Awards
TV · as Self · 2 eps
Van Halen Live at US Festival
Movie · as Himself
Van Halen: Live in Largo Oct 12, 1982
Movie · as Self
Van Halen: Largo Oct 11, 1982
Movie · as Self
Van Halen: Oakland, CA @ Oakland Arena 1981
Movie · as Self
Saturday Night Live
TV · as Self (uncredited) · 1 ep